System and apparatus for loading vessels



G. H. AND F. E. HULETT.

SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING VESSELS.

APPLICATION FlLED OCT. 291 1918. 1,327,327, Patented Jan. 6,1920.

cm? I: 9 LOHDJ DW/PFT )2 ZL EM%/ W 7 g .DOCLQ GEORGE H. HULETTAND FRANK E. HULETT, or C EVELAND, omo.

SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING VESSELS.

Application filed October 29,1918. Serial No. 260,107.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE H. HoLETT and FRANK E. HULETT, citizens of the United States, and residents of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State ofg Ohio, have, invented certain new and useful Improvements in Systems and Apparatus for Loading Vessels; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which ing loaded, all the intermediate or end bins belngin the meanwhile idle. 1

The most modern piers in use at the present time have the fixed bins or pockets about twenty-four feet apart with mechanism at each for depositing the coal in the hatch. Such a systemwith the necessary chute and conveyer mechanism for each bin, makes the construction, maintenance and operation very expensive, and the object of our invention is to greatly reduce the cost and expense by providing a series of traveling bins adapted to be moved to positions opposite the hatches and receive the coal from pier cars and discharge it into the vessel, and

' our 1 invention consists in the arrangement of the tracks and in the parts and combinations of parts as will be more fully explained and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view inside elevation of the railroad track system on the pier and at the shore end of the latter; Fig; 2 is a similar view in plan of the same; Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view in vertical section through the pier and trestle at two points showing the up track for loaded cars at two elevations within the trestle structure and Fig. 4 is a view inside elevation.

In the operation of our system the coal or ore carswhich convey the coal from the mines to the pier, are carried on tracks 5 to the dumper 6 and the coal dumped into Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Jan. 6, 192 0.

conveyer cars 7 which will be hereinafter referred to as pier ,cars; These pier cars are located on tracks 8, in a position to receive the coal from the dumpers and after havmg been filled, are self propelled, pushed or pulled from tracks 8v onto and up track 9 Wl'llCh we prefer to be about 1% or 2 per cent. grade' This up track 9 is located centrally with relation to the trestle 16-.built up on the .pier, and passes upwardly through the trestle 16 as shown in Fig. 3 and emerges at the top near the outer endofthe trestleand pler, room however being provided at:

the outer end of the trestle for switching the pier cars from track 9 onto either of the tracks 10. I a

. By locating the up track 9 within-the T D A S ATENT or E- trestle and discharging the contents ofthe.

pier cars after they have been switched onto the return tracks 10, it is possible to providean easyup grade forthe loaded cars, as"

shown in Fig. 1', while the emptypie'r cars 1 return to the dumper down the :s teepen grade 17.

pulled upthe tracks 9 and switched over 'onto the side tracks 10, which are preferably level throughout that part of the ier over which the bins 11 are movable, the oadsare" dumped onto the bins and the cars then returned to the dumps for refilling. I

The cars on tracks 5 after having their contents dumped into the pier cars are i switched at 13 onto tracks 14, and are then free to be returned to the mines for reload 1n cars are. emptiedinto the pier'cars which latter are specially constructed for use on the pier. All have dump bottoms, and some are arranged to dump into a bin at one sideg With this system the contents of the coal of the trestle'and others into bins at the opposite side as shown in Fig. 3.

The piers 15 which are from twelve hundred to fourteen hundred feet long, are of a width to accommodate the trestle havin three parallel tracks 9 and 10 and tracks. I? which are located on the pier at theopposite sides of the trestle as shown in Fig. 3.

The movable bins 11 may be of any ap-' 8 0 After the pier cars have been pushed or so as to bring the tracks 10 well over the 0 en top of the bins so that the coal d1sc arged through the bottom of the pier cars 7 will fall directly into the bins 11. The top of the bins may (not absolutely necessary) carry. means for engaging the underside of the top of the trestle, as shown at 18 for reventing the ssibility of the bins tipping outwardly w ien the chutes are projected. The pier cars 7, are adapted to dump at the side or bottom and by the cantaliver construction of trestle shown, we are enabled to carry the pier cars over the bms so that all of the coal discharged from the cars falls into the bins. Each bin frame carries endless conveyer frame or chute 18, the belt 19 of which is actuated by a motor 20 and suitable gearing.- The conveyer frame is referably madein sections hinged toget er as shown, and is supported by cables 21 and 22. the free ends of which are secured to the drums 23, which are actuated by the motor 20 and suitable gearing, or by an 1ndependent motor as may be preferred. The rear endv of the conveyer frame rests under the lower end of the bin, which open end 1s closed and the flow of coal'therefrom controlled by a gate, and the coal whlch falls on the conveyer belt is carried out and deposited in the hatch, suitable guards 24 and. 25 being provided for guiding and directing.

The pier cars after discharging their con-- tents into the bin continue their travel inwardly toward the shore end of the trestle, and pass down the steeper inclined trackway 17 to the trackway 8 where the cars are reloaded at the dumpersand are again moved upwardly onto the pier and trestle and their contents discharged into the bins. The) movements of these cars on the pier are always a progressive one, that is to say they I ascend the trestle on one track and return on another so that there is no interference between the loaded and empty cars while on the pier.

what we claim as new and desireto secure by Letters-Patent, is:

1. In a system of loading vessels, a pier or dock having an elevatedtrestle thereon, an

inclined up track leading from the shore end of the pier through the'trestle to the top thereof, a track located at a side of the trestle, switch connection between the up track and side track, an inclined down track leading from the shore end of the side track down to the starting point of the up track and cars adapted to travel on said tracks and dump their contents into the 'bms located on the pier and convenient to a vessel moored to the pier.

2. In a system of loading vessels, a pier or dock having an elevated trestle .thereon, a car duinper, tracks leading to and from the car dumper, an inclined up track for pier 'cars leading from the car dumper through the trestle to the top thereof, a track 10- cated on the trestle adjacent the side there- 3.. In a system of loading vessels, a pier having a trestle thereon, an inclmed up track passing upwardly and outwardl through the trestle to the top thereof, a trac on top and near one side of the trestle, a switch connection between said tracks at the outer end of the trestle and an inclined track 1 leading from the shore end of the side track on the trestle to the lower end of the up wardly inclined track, whereby a car first passes up the inclined track to the top of the trestle, thence back on the top of the trestle toward the shore end of the latter, and thence down an inclined track back to the starting point.

4. The combination of a pier having a trestle thereon, an up track leading from the shore end of the pier to the top of the trestle, a track on the trestle adjacent one side,land a bin movably mounted on the pier in a plane below said side track, the said bin having means for discharging coal therein into the hold of a vessel, and a down track leading from the shore end of the side track to the starting point of the up track.

5. The combination of a pler having a trestle thereon, an up track leading from the shore end of the pier to the top of the trestle, a track on the trestle adjacent one side of the latter, a traveling bin on the pier below the side track and overhung by the'latter, means for discharging the contents of the bin into the hold of a vessel and a track leading from the shore end of the side track on the trestle down to the starting point of the up track.

6. The combinatlon of a pier, a cantaliver 1 trestle thereon, a series of traveling. bins mounted on the pier with their tops below the top of the trestle and overhung by the latter, means for discharging the contents of the bins into a vessel moored at the side of the pier, a track leading to the top of the trestle, a track on the trestle at the side adjacent the bins, a switch connection between the tracks on the pier, a track leading from the side track at the shore end to the starting point of the up track and dump 10 cars for carrying coal to the top of the trestle and] depositing it into the traveling bins.

In testimony whereof, we have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE H. HULETT. FRANK E. HULETT. Witnesses:

CHAs. A. BOYD, HARRY F. CLINES. 

